Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-20

| this way. The utmost that is claimed
| by the friends OF prohibition is thai
they have closed the saloons in small
! towns and county districts, and even
! for this result they give not the evidence
| Of official returns; but vague and sweep
| ing estimates. They claim that 5000 sa-
! looms have been closed, and that $500 are
kept closed permently. But the official
! figures of the Internal Revenue Depart
ment show that Iowa has sixteen reCti-
| ierS Of spirits, and 1927 dealers in intOXi
| cantS; so that the reduction of numbers
| IN the places outside the cities cannot
! have been great. The total for the state
would be less than 1000 if the estimates
of the Prohibitionists were correct.
In Iowa, as in Kansas and in Maine,
! prohibition has little efficacy in tla large
/ towns and the cities, which suffer the
most from the evils of the liquor traffic.
And IN that state, as elsewhere, five men
! will vote for prOnib tfOn for one who VIII
put a band for its enforcement. The re-
/ duCtiOn Of LIQUOR saloons under hlgd-
! license law III Nebraska and Illinois, has
! been greater than Iowa under prOhiDi-
ton. At the same time there has been
no such stimulus TO IaWiessness in the
enforcement of high-llceuse, and the rs
sistance Of liquor dealers has beer Sc
cured in its enforcement.
These are cold solid facts; they cannot
be ContrOverteG. The result has been
the same in cities and towns in Maine
and Vermont as in Iowa. In these states
prohibition was carried by large MAORI
ties, vet the law cannot be enforced. In
twenty-eight town and cities in lowe
wkiskey shops are increased from no I'M
der d license law to GIG under just such
prOhibitory law as our prohibition friends
are trying to force on our city. Some sa-
looms, it is true, are said 20 have been
closed in the country, but the statement
is made and is true that more saloons are
closed in Illinois and Nebraska under high
license than in Iowa by prohibition. Be-
sides there is no violation of law and no
decentralization of the people under the Ii
cense system as under prohibition,
and under the license system the
state receives the large revenues and gets
none under prohibition. While drunken
ness may be decreased in the county 10
some little extent under prohibition II is
Increased to an alarming extent IN the
cities. | therefore say to my country
friends as you under the local option law
are permitted to have prohibition or not
in YOUR precinct and decide for your
selves without let or hindranCe from the
people of Waco, N the name Of al that IS
Just and right allow Waco the same priyi-
lege and do not byyour votes fasten upon
her measure which will de-
stroy her prosperity, increase drunk
enness and vice and demoraliZe her
people. If more testimony corrobor-
alive of that Just read is needed, | viii
read letter from Hon. Thomas +. Bay
ard TO a member of tne Legislature Of
Delaware when that body was discussing
j local option Kill. Here is what he says:
WASHINGToN, D. c., March !, 1851.
My Dear SRI DO not like to intrude
my opinions unasked for upon members
Of the Legislature.
I agree with you in thinking 'locsI
option" laws of very doubtful constltu-
liOnaIity, and positive ineXpedIency.
AS | understand them they submit 4
law 81 popular vote, in local districts, and
this defeats the principle of our govern
ment, which is representative in its char,
acter, and places the whole law making
power and discretion in the Legislature
and not in the people in their mere nu-
meriCal force and primary capacity
If punishment of criminals was 10 be
adiadged and inflicted by local option"
instead IF through acts of Legislature
executed by judges and jurics, it would
be held wholly at variance with our tae-
Ory of government, and yet 10 apply such
s rule to SO widespread and daily habiJ
as the use of alcoholic or fermenCed bev-
erages is, in my judgment, quite as un-
safe.
SO far as my experience goes, q well
regulated system of licenses, whereby
revenue is largely brought into the public
treasury, coupled with severe penalties
for illicit sale, has proved the most etlt-
Gent check upon the abuse of the liquor
traffic.
In many respects the question is q
sumptuary one, and laws attempting to
establish sumptuaTy regulations become
inquisitorial and impossible of execution,
so that in those communities in this
country where they have been enacted,
they have either aggravated the evil they
were intended to prevent, or have fallen
into contempt and uSalessneSs and been
repealed.
The statements have seen Of the real
condition of those communities in which
total prohibition has been attempted have
impressed me very strongly in contirma-
ton of these views.
Personal influence and example and
precept, and the recognition Of the great
truth that intemperanCe in the Use of
stimulants of all kinds is morbid physi-
cal fact both in cause and effect, is, in my
judgment, the proper view TO commence
with. Statistics abundantIy prove that
the attempted suppression by statutes OF
the use of alcoholic stimulants is &C
COmpanied by an inCrease i'll the use Of
opiates, and that open drinking being
stopped, secret drinking ensues.
| do not believe that any man has a
greater horror OF intemperanCe than /
and my appreciation of its dangers and
evil effects grows with my experience If
human affairs; bus the gTaver the evil,
the mere essential to apply the right
principle to its cure, and for the reasons
| have stated and many others | hope the
experiment of 'local option" Will not be
tried by our Legislature, but increased
checks under the license system be con-
tinued. Yours sincerely,
T. F. BAYARD.
Who is Thomas f. Baya-d? He is the
present Secretary of State and Premier Of
President Cleveland's Cabinet, selected
for that high trust because OF his great
ability, his lofty character and unsur
passed patriotism and devotion TO his
country VIII you not believe him? He
advised the Legislature of Delaware not
to pass Iocal option law. He says
when public drinking ceases, private
drinking ensues; that when whisky can
not be had opium is accepted in It's stead,
that all experience shows that prohibitory
Laws can not be enforced, and do harm
instead OF good, and htaa license with
stringent laws against selling to forbid
den parties go farther than any other
,,,aast,-nS ro4 4or1snd IN Inssan tn. evil. Of